Body Piercing

Piercing has been practiced in many cultures for many centuries. Body piercing was often identified with royalty and portrayed courage and virility. Egyptian pharaohs pierced their navels as a rite of passage. Roman soldiers pierced their nipples to show their manhood.

How is it done?

A hollow needle is passed through the body part followed by the insertion of the body jewelry in the hole. A piercing gun should not be used because it crushes the tissues that are pierced and it cannot be properly sterilized.

How do the holes heal?

Skin heals after piercings by forming a layer of cells called epithelial cells along the inside of the piercing to protect the body from the foreign object. The epithelial cells form a tube-like layer of skin along the inside of the piercing.

The process takes at least six to eight weeks, although most body piercings require at least six months to a year before the jewelry can be removed for any length of time without the risk of the hole closing.

After the epithelial layer has formed, the piercing may constrict around the jewelry. The epithelial layer can be easily torn or dislodged, so do not force the jewelry to rotate without first applying warm water.

Once the epithelial cell layer forms, it must toughen and strengthen for up to a year before the piercing will become more flexible and relaxed around the jewelry.

Caring for Your Piercing Site

First, make sure that your piercing is done with a sterile object, and that jewelry inserted in the new piercing site is also sterile, to prevent bacteria and foreign objects from entering the body.

All new piercings produce a sticky white to off-white discharge that dries into a crusty formation around the openings of the piercings and on the jewelry. The area around the new piercing should be kept clean.

Do not touch the new piercing. Wash your hands with soap before cleaning the piercing.

Clean the pierced area with antibacterial soap. Remove all crusty formations, and rinse off the soap.

Salt-water soaks are good to loosen up crusty formations. You can make salt water by adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt to one cup of clean water.

Do not use alcohol or peroxide to clean the area at any time. They will dry out your skin. Betadine will discolor gold jewelry.

Always wear clean clothing and change the bed-sheets every week during the healing period to avoid infection.

Sweat and clothes rubbing against the piercing may be irritating.

For piercings in your ear or around your face, avoid make-up and powders in that area during the healing process. Cover the pierced area with a tissue when applying hair spray.

For body piercings, do not wear tight clothes. For navel piercing, do not wear large belts, stockings or body suits, and do not sleep on your stomach. Good air circulation is important for healing.

Be careful where you swim. Avoid public pools and hot tubs until the piercing has healed.

For mouth care following tongue or lip piercing, choose an antibacterial mouthwash that does not contain alcohol and rinse your mouth after all meals and snacks. If you notice bad breath and an off-colored tongue, the mouthwash may have killed bacteria that live naturally in the mouth. If this happens, switch to salt water rinses instead of mouthwash.

Saline solution should be used to clean the inside entrance of nostril piercings.

Signs of Sensitivity to Cleaning Products

Symptoms may include redness, irritation, itching or burning when the piercing is cleaned, or a rash surrounding the piercing. Over- or under-cleaning of the piercing can cause the openings of the piercing to become red, overly dry, and cracked.

Q & A About Lip Piercing

Questions: People say that getting a ring is better than getting a stud when getting a lip piercing. Why is that? And I hear that there can be problems with receding gums and such with lip piercings. What are the possible health hazards for getting lip piercings?

Answer: I did some research in order to respond to your question. I did not find any recommendations for using rings instead of studs for lip piercing. In fact, there was a suggestion that studs might actually be safer since they have less of a tendency to move around, therefore having a slightly lower risk of infection.

Also, there have been reports of dental problems such as receding gums from a lip piercing. It is thought that this is due to the metal rubbing on the teeth and gums.

The other main complication from lip piercing is infection, especially since the mouth is constantly filled with bacteria no matter what. It is impossible to sterilize the mouth completely.

Therefore, all the dental organizations whose information I reviewed discourage any type of piercing in the mouth.